A magnetic disk unit is now in general use as a storage unit of a personal computer. Further, the range of uses of the magnetic disk unit is recently being expanded to a car navigation system, a video-ready TV, and so forth. With these devices, capacities of data, and images, to be treated, tend to be further increased. As a result, a concomitant increase in storage capacity is required of the magnetic disk unit. In order to increase the storage capacity of the magnetic disk unit with an enclosure remaining on the same order in size as that in the case of the related art, there is a need for enhancement in the recording density of recording media.
A heat-assist magnetic recording method has been proposed as one of technologies for implementing enhancement in the recording density of a magnetic disk. With the heat-assist magnetic recording method, a magnetic field and heat are applied to a micro-region of recording media to thereby record data at a high density. In this connection, a near field transducer is generally used as a device for heating the micro-region of the recording media. The near field transducer is disposed in the vicinity of a magnetic write head mounted in a head slider, thereby converting light guided from an external laser diode into near field light to be subsequently outputted.
In Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to a method whereby a sub-mount incorporating a laser diode in a recess is mounted on the surface of a head slider. A Gimbal is attached to the thermal assisted magnetic recording head, and these are swingably supported by a load beam.
In Patent Document 2, there is disclosed a thermal assisted magnetic recording head in which a laser diode having a linear optical cavity is provided on a lateral face of a head slider to receive light guided from the laser diode from the lateral face side of the head slider.